“……”
“……”
After a long silence where they did nothing but stare at one another, Radius knit his brows and leveled a question at Ren.
“Well? What of it?”
It took Ren a moment to find his voice.
“No, no, no—wait!”
He was stunned that he had been conversing so casually until now. Once he had fully processed Radius’s words, the weight of the situation felt entirely different.
Crown Prince. The successor to the Leomel Empire.
“Are you—are you actually serious!?”
“What would I gain by lying about this? Besides, you were the one who said it before, Ren. You mentioned something about me being the one rumored to be the next Emperor.”
“I mean, sure, but…! Actually hearing that it’s official is a whole different level of shock!”
Ren was reeling, but he realized there was something he needed to say first. Shaking off the initial jolt of surprise, he looked at his friend.
“Congratulations. I always knew it would be you, Radius.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
A crinkled smile broke across Radius’s face. It was a warm, boyish grin—the kind of expression he never showed anyone else.
“I wanted your congratulations, certainly, but I also wanted to see you surprised. Heh… it was worth having you come here today just for that.”
“Well… if you’re happy, I guess it was worth the shock.”
If the guest of honor was satisfied, Ren figured he didn't need to worry about his own undignified reaction. He regained his composure and picked up the teacup he had nearly dropped, taking a sip to soothe his dry throat.
“I think you understand by now, but what I just told you isn’t entirely unrelated to the matter of Cecil Ashton.”
“Hmm? How so?”
“Have you forgotten? The Forbidden Archives.”
Ren paused for a beat before giving a wry smile.
“Ah, right. No, I didn't forget. I think the shock of the Crown Prince news just pushed everything else out of my head for a second.”
The Forbidden Archives was a restricted area located at the deepest level of the Imperial Library. Access was granted to only a select few. Ren and Radius had discussed it once before—how Radius would finally be able to enter those archives if he were named Crown Prince.
Back then, Ren had joked that he might find the Ashton family tree gathering dust in a corner.
“Since we’ve come this far, my own curiosity is piqued,” Radius said. “I intend to keep digging.”
“Thanks. Though, if information about my family actually is tucked away in the Forbidden Archives, it’s going to make this whole thing feel even more over-the-top.”
“Don't be ridiculous. It’s already plenty over-the-top.”
Radius gave a cool, knowing smile. But for a fleeting moment, a thought flickered in his eyes—a premonition that he kept to himself. Ren didn't notice the subtle shift, and their conversation flowed onward.
“The academy is going to be buzzing after winter break,” Ren noted. “There’s no shortage of gossip.”
“Ah, are you referring to Vane?”
“Wait, you’ve heard already?”
“Just a little bit.”
“You’re being strangely vague, but yes, that’s the topic. I don’t know if the rumors are true, but they say he unleashed a staggering holy power. They say it even resonated with the shield, Airia. If that’s the case, then he must be…”
“A descendant of the Seven Heroes?”
“Precisely. And if that’s true, there is only one candidate left.”
“The only one unaccounted for is Hero Ruin.”
The bloodline of Hero Ruin, which the world believed had been extinguished. Radius looked both pleased and weary as he gave a characteristically detached reply. “Perhaps.”
“I don't particularly care about the factional conflict itself,” Radius continued. “If this man, Vane, truly carries the blood of Hero Ruin, that is a wonderful thing. I would be genuinely happy for him… but.”
“But?”
“The Hero Faction can celebrate all they want, but it will be a headache if some of the more troublesome nobles start getting ideas and acting out because of it.”
From the perspective of the people, a resurgence of the Hero Faction wasn't necessarily bad. Radius was simply wary of the inevitable political fallout and the difficulty of managing the more ambitious aristocrats. He added a self-deprecating comment about their own lack of influence to handle such matters perfectly.
Then, he shook off the gloom and changed the subject.
“And then there is the matter of you, Ren.”
There was no way a boy who had single-handedly slain the Apostle of the Giant God, Wadatsumi, would escape notice. While there was no official proclamation that Ren had been the slayer, the nobility had ears everywhere. Combined with the suggestive articles appearing in the newspapers, it didn't take much imagination to connect the dots.
Especially since they were all under the same roof at the academy. Ren could expect a flood of inquiries.
“Is the Sword King your next goal?”
“…Yeah.”
Ren felt a strange sense of fate regarding Lutreche. He found himself reminiscing about their first encounter in the temple district. Radius sensed that Ren was deep in thought.
“Did something happen between you and the Sword King?”
“Well… you could say that.”
“Care to share?”
“I don't mind, but it’s really not that big of a deal.”
Ren recounted his meeting and conversation with Lutreche. He had told Licia the exact same thing the day before. Even Radius hadn't imagined that Ren would run into the woman. Since Lutreche herself had seemed surprised to see Ren, it was undoubtedly a chance encounter.
“I truly don't understand it,” Radius muttered.
Neither Ren, nor the secrets of the Ashton family, nor Lutreche’s true motives made much sense to him. With no answers in sight, the two friends eventually finished their tea and moved on to more trivial, everyday topics.
“I hear the remaining two heirs from the Archduke families will be enrolling in the spring,” Radius noted. “Word is they’ve passed their entrance exams without issue.”
The Hero Faction was bound to become even more boisterous. Though, Radius’s own elevation would certainly give the Imperial Faction the momentum they needed.
Shortly after noon, the library prepared to close. During the winter break, the hours were shortened, and today was no exception.
“Are you heading back to the castle?” Ren asked. “I can walk with you part of the way.”
“No need. My ride is already here.”
“Right. Roger that.”
When they stepped outside the academy gates, a carriage was indeed waiting for Radius. Once his friend had departed, Ren set off toward a specific destination of his own.
It was a walk of just over an hour.
Ren crossed a bridge on the outskirts of the Imperial Capital. Tucked away within the city’s limits was a vast, sprawling meadow that remained lush and green even in the dead of winter. Access was strictly regulated, but Ren possessed the necessary permit.
There were no grand monuments here, no hidden treasures. Yet, there was a reason unauthorized visitors were forbidden. This land was the sacred training ground used by the legendary Lion King. To this day, it was cherished and protected.
It was known as the Garden of Swords—a place of profound significance to the people of Leomel. Formal permission to enter was only granted by the crown, usually to those who had performed extraordinary service or, like Ren, had been honored by the Lion Sanctum. Historically, the Seven Heroes themselves had earned the right to step onto this grass.
Ren’s boots crunched softly against the turf, which was slightly damp with melted snow.
“I guess it’s not going to play out exactly like the game,” he murmured to himself.
He had spent so much effort ensuring things didn't follow the script of The Legend of the Seven Heroes that he found his own observation somewhat ironic. He let out a small, self-deprecating laugh.
He fixed his gaze on a specific spot—a lone tree standing atop a gentle rise in the meadow. It was where she was supposed to be.
As Ren stood there, staring into the distance, a voice reached him.
“Why are you here?”
It was a woman’s voice, clear and beautiful as a bell.
Ren felt his heart hammer against his ribs—a reaction that caught him off guard. He forced himself to remain calm, mask his surprise, and turned toward her.
“I thought I might find you here.”
Standing before him was the Silver-white Princess herself.
“…Find me?”
“That’s right. Sword King Lutreche.”
She was the pinnacle of combat power in Leomel. In the game, this encounter was framed as a ‘Challenge to the Sword King.’
Ren studied her. Lutreche possessed a mystical, otherworldly beauty. Yet, beneath that grace, she seemed strangely fragile—not at all like the world-class warrior he knew her to be.
But the impression lasted only a heartbeat. She smoothed over that fleeting vulnerability and simply looked at him with genuine surprise. Most people saw her as a transcendent, untouchable figure of cold composure. And yet, she had been stopped in her tracks by the sight of him.
“No titles are necessary,” she said, recovering her poise. “I am merely Lutreche.”
Her tone was detached as she continued.
“Ren Ashton, why have you come to see me?”
“I wanted to ask you something directly. I didn't get the chance yesterday.”
Lutreche assumed he was going to ask about the incident at the Great Clock Tower in Erendil. During that battle against the Demon King Cult, she had provided critical assistance but had never offered a real explanation, claiming she had only helped ‘on a whim.’ Ren had heard as much from Radius, and he suspected she might dodge the question again.
“Do you know something about the Ashton family?” he asked.
Based on the records found in the submerged ruins of the old city and the research conducted by Ragna from the Ministry of Mysteries, the names of Cecil Ashton and the Blighted Princess had surfaced. Given those links, her involvement at the clock tower felt deliberate.
Her response was blunt.
“I have no reason to tell you.”
But she didn't deny it. Unlike her conversation with Radius, she didn't lie. She simply refused to elaborate.
“However,” she added, “I can help you move forward.”
The cloth she had used to wrap her longsword slid away, revealing the blade.
“Move me forward?”
“Yes. But first, answer me this.” She locked eyes with him. “Ren Ashton, can you become stronger than me?”
She held a blade of legend. The master smith Verrich had once claimed he could never forge a sword to surpass it. It was named God Eater—a weapon of such pure, unblemished white that Verrich said it evoked the very dawn of creation.
Lutreche didn't strike. She simply thrust God Eater into the turf. She wasn't looking for a fight; she was testing his resolve.
“Stronger than you…”
Ren didn't hesitate because of doubt. He was simply searching for the right words. His answer, when it came, clearly piqued her interest.
“This might not be the answer you’re looking for, but what I do won’t change. I’ve always just become as strong as I needed to be. So, if becoming stronger than you is what’s required to reach my goals, then I certainly intend to do exactly that.”
He didn't want to be disrespectful to a Sword King, but he wanted to be honest. He was reconfirming the vow he had made to himself when he first reached the rank of Sword Saint.
“……”
The Silver-white Princess stared at him in silence. After a moment, she made a slight motion with her fingers. The cloth on the grass drifted into the air as if caught in a breeze, wrapping itself around God Eater once more.
She turned her back to him. As she began to walk away, her voice drifted back to him.
“Ren!”
He watched her leave as she gave him one final hint.
“You should look for the Emblem-bearing requests at the guild.”
He didn't know why those high-difficulty requests were significant, but given how much his presence was already shifting the threads of fate, it was a suggestion he couldn't afford to ignore.